Report: 2025 World Cup on verge of collapse

[Matterhorn]

In regards to Qatar hosting - as Steve Miller would say Take the Money and Run

[crashmon]

18 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

FYI handball is not a minor sport, it's a huge sport internationally.  Even without much of a presence in the Anglosphere, handball is the world's third biggest team sport after soccer and basketball.  If it ever manages to break through in the Anglosphere it would overtake basketball then.

I'm not trying to disparage Handball, my point was that when it comes to Qatar, I don't believe that which sport it is matters, for them its all about holding a world championship in Qatar, and they will see this as a way into Aus \ NZ

 

 

[Big Picture]

21 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

This map very handily shows why some people in Britain and Ireland believe that handball is a minor sport globally

The same is probably true of North Americans too, because the vast majority are Anglophones too. Most Anglophones go through life unconsciously wearing huge Anglo-centric blinkers which block out information from the rest of the world, which happens to be where something like 99% of handball's base is located.  They have no idea at all that (for example) Germany, France and Spain have major pro handball leagues, not a clue.

[Eddie]

33 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

This map very handily shows why some people in Britain and Ireland believe that handball is a minor sport globally

Is that number of players or spectators? Angling is very popular in the UK but not many people would watch a World Cup. 

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Is that number of players or spectators? Angling is very popular in the UK but not many people would watch a World Cup. 

The guy did it is a stats obsessive so there was a lot of data that went into it and then he revised it based on feedback. (Also: it is only team sports). So, participation, clubs, attendances, TV deals and wealth all played their part.

It’s a couple of years old but there’s really only a couple on there that I’d quibble with and they would not really change the whole.

[corkonian77]

Olympic Handball 

7 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

The same is probably true of North Americans too, because the vast majority are Anglophones too. Most Anglophones go through life unconsciously wearing huge Anglo-centric blinkers which block out information from the rest of the world, which happens to be where something like 99% of handball's base is located.  They have no idea at all that (for example) Germany, France and Spain have major pro handball leagues, not a clue.

We call that Sport Olympic Handball in Ireland. 

Ireland has 8  Handball clubs although 5 seem to compete in adult competitions.  The sport seems to be on the same scale as Rugby League in Ireland. It probably is bigger due to European students in Ireland.

FC Barcelona have a Handball department. Handball is widely shown on TV in Spain. 

[Eddie]

11 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

The same is probably true of North Americans too, because the vast majority are Anglophones too. Most Anglophones go through life unconsciously wearing huge Anglo-centric blinkers which block out information from the rest of the world, which happens to be where something like 99% of handball's base is located.  They have no idea at all that (for example) Germany, France and Spain have major pro handball leagues, not a clue.

The Handball Bundesliga averaged 4,807 spectators last season. I wouldn’t consider that major in a country like Germany.  

It’s hard to find stats on France and Spain’s domestic leagues, but the Handball champions league doesn’t draw the crowds either https://www.handball-world.news/en/news-2-1-3-147479.html

It’s easy to slate English RL attendances but given its limited geographical footprint (area of circa 4m people?), competition from football and lack of international game I’d say they’re incredible. 

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, corkonian77 said:

Olympic Handball 

We call that Sport Olympic Handball in Ireland. 

Ireland has 8  Handball clubs although 5 seem to compete in adult competitions.  The sport seems to be on the same scale as Rugby League in Ireland. It probably is bigger due to European students in Ireland.

FC Barcelona have a Handball department. Handball is widely shown on TV in Spain. 

I think they’d be comparable in Ireland. I actually can’t remember Ireland playing an international fixture for a while in handball.

[Dirkgee]

7 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Is that number of players or spectators? Angling is very popular in the UK but not many people would watch a World Cup. 

Half of Denmark watched the Handball World Cup final. 

https://www.thelocal.dk/20190128/half-of-denmark-watched-handball-world-cup-final-triumph

I think only England football games at the WC got around that.

[RP London]

43 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

FYI handball is not a minor sport, it's a huge sport internationally.  Even without much of a presence in the Anglosphere, handball is the world's third biggest team sport after soccer and basketball.  If it ever manages to break through in the Anglosphere it would overtake basketball then.

and i really dont understand how it hasnt... its a great sport!

[corkonian77]

10 minutes ago, RP London said:

and i really dont understand how it hasnt... its a great sport!

I think its down to facilities.

Indoor sports require bigger buildings. 

 

[RP London]

8 minutes ago, Eddie said:

The Handball Bundesliga averaged 4,807 spectators last season. I wouldn’t consider that major in a country like Germany.  

It’s hard to find stats on France and Spain’s domestic leagues, but the Handball champions league doesn’t draw the crowds either https://www.handball-world.news/en/news-2-1-3-147479.html

It’s easy to slate English RL attendances but given its limited geographical footprint (area of circa 4m people?), competition from football and lack of international game I’d say they’re incredible. 

for the most part RL crowds are brilliant for the game that it is and I never really understand the obsession with them. We play in grounds that are too big for some teams and while the old grounds needed up grading for sure they didnt need to be so big (I know what was due to them choosing to move in with some rather than keeping a smaller stadium going etc.. and I get that).

RL, for what it is, does remarkably well.. but the international game is what so many of these sports builds off.. Handball is played all over as is Waterpolo, Field hockey etc.. they all have a bigger world wide presence by far and more millions of people who know they exist (outside of the small english world).. if we could just tap into a bit of that we can work, little by little, to improve it over time. It wont be one big bang it will be little by little, even the "might" of RU struggle with the "outside the old countries" and its taken them years to get Japan to Tier 1, Georgia are stuck in Limbo, Italy have struggled with the step up etc etc. 

[RP London]

3 minutes ago, corkonian77 said:

I think its down to facilities.

Indoor sports require bigger buildings. 

 

true for the pro sport but even amateur handball isnt really a thing in the UK even though we did get a team out for 2012 (by hook or by crook).. only really on Eurosport to watch.. we have Rugby of both codes which they dont for the most part but its just one of those that I think, as a nation, we'd like.. except its very "european"..

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, RP London said:

for the most part RL crowds are brilliant for the game that it is and I never really understand the obsession with them. We play in grounds that are too big for some teams and while the old grounds needed up grading for sure they didnt need to be so big (I know what was due to them choosing to move in with some rather than keeping a smaller stadium going etc.. and I get that).

RL, for what it is, does remarkably well.. but the international game is what so many of these sports builds off.. Handball is played all over as is Waterpolo, Field hockey etc.. they all have a bigger world wide presence by far and more millions of people who know they exist (outside of the small english world).. if we could just tap into a bit of that we can work, little by little, to improve it over time. It wont be one big bang it will be little by little, even the "might" of RU struggle with the "outside the old countries" and its taken them years to get Japan to Tier 1, Georgia are stuck in Limbo, Italy have struggled with the step up etc etc. 

This is a point worth making. Handball, water polo, (field) hockey ... these are all much, much bigger sports globally than rugby league.

For example, on my little map for handball, the UK is rightly in red for 'very minor sport with no presence' for handball. And yet it has more clubs and established leagues than Serbia does for rugby league.

[David Shepherd]

43 minutes ago, crashmon said:

I'm not trying to disparage Handball, my point was that when it comes to Qatar, I don't believe that which sport it is matters, for them its all about holding a world championship in Qatar, and they will see this as a way into Aus \ NZ

 

 

Exactly

We're looking at this from a Northern England perspective.

The future of economic growth is in the pacific region, Qatar will very much see this as a way to raise their profile in a big, fast growing economy like Australia.

[lucky 7]

1 hour ago, Matterhorn said:

In regards to Qatar hosting - as Steve Miller would say Take the Money and Run

I'll go with that.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth

[lucky 7]

2 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

There are other solutions than Qatar and everything you say is irrelevant does have an effect.

Give it to the highest bidders as the game needs the money

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

How much are Leigh prepared to pay to host?

Whatever is in my washing machines filter

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, RP London said:

and i really dont understand how it hasnt... its a great sport!

My ' Best Man ' played it , stupid game , he slipped on some water that hadn't  been dried and sued the sports centre for enough money to buy a Fiat X19 way back in 86 , I've never met , spoken to anybody , or seen it played anywhere ever since , that tells me how good it is 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Dirkgee said:

Half of Denmark watched the Handball World Cup final. 

https://www.thelocal.dk/20190128/half-of-denmark-watched-handball-world-cup-final-triumph

I think only England football games at the WC got around that.

Denmark were in the final though, a small country like that having a team in a WC final in any sport will get big viewing figures. How many did their opening WC games get? 

[RP London]

28 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

My ' Best Man ' played it , stupid game , he slipped on some water that hadn't  been dried and sued the sports centre for enough money to buy a Fiat X19 way back in 86 , I've never met , spoken to anybody , or seen it played anywhere ever since , that tells me how good it is 

exactly.. great sport.. you never know whats going to happen and if it gets dull you can add some waterhazards to it... think of the possibilities! 

its these litigious types that spoil all the fun 

[GUBRATS]

22 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Denmark were in the final though, a small country like that having a team in a WC final in any sport will get big viewing figures. How many did their opening WC games get? 

A lot of British people watched the Curling at the Olympics a few years back , your points stands 

[David Shepherd]

48 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Fiat X19

Bit of a bird's car though.

[RP London]

16 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

A lot of British people watched the Curling at the Olympics a few years back , your points stands 

loads of people slip doing that and you dont see them suing the Ice Rink! 

[ATLANTISMAN]

3 hours ago, Matterhorn said:

In regards to Qatar hosting - as Steve Miller would say Take the Money and Run

My prediction is more like STEVE MILLER THE JOKER:)